LOUISIANA’SHIGH SCHOOL STUDENTPLANNING GUIDEBOOK: A PATH TOPROSPERITY FOR EVERY STUDENT2015-2016Version 1

CONTENTSTable 1: PLANNING FOR STRUGGLING STUDENTS .................3

Table 2: FOCUSING ON 9TH AND 10TH GRADE STUDENTS ......7

Table 3: DEVELOPING ADVANCED & BASIC COLLEGE & WORKPLACE SKILLS ......................................................... 11

APPENDIX I: COUNSELING & SUPPORTS ................... 17

APPENDIX II: SEEKING REWARDS ................................23

APPENDIX III: ACCOUNTABILITY FAQ ........................25

APPENDIX IV: HYPERLINKS ............................................ 28

This public document was published at a cost of $3,456.00. Two thousand two hundred (2,200) copies of this public document were published at this second printing at a cost of $3,456.00. The total cost of all printings of this document, including all reprints, was $7,259.47. This document was printed by the Office of Content; Louisiana Department of Edu-cation; P.O. Box 94064, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9064. This material was printed in accordance with the standards for printing by State agencies established pursuant to R.S. 43.31.

The mission of the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) is to ensure equal access to education and to promote equal excellence throughout the state. The LDOE is committed to providing Equal Employment Opportunities and is committed to ensuring that all of its programs and facilities are accessible to all members of the public. The LDOE does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex, or genetic information. Inquiries concerning the LDOE’s compliance with Title IX and other civil rights laws may be directed to the Attorney, LDOE, Office of the General Counsel, P.O. Box 94064, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9064; 877.453.2721 or customerservice@la.gov. Information about the federal civil rights laws that apply to the LDOE and other educational institutions is available on the website for the Office of Civil Rights, USDOE, at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/.

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INTRODUCTIONYou have in your hands a Louisiana Guidebook, one in a series of three booklets released this year by the Louisiana Department of Education to provide educators a simple reference guide for state policies and tools.

Louisiana Believes is the state’s comprehensive plan to provide all students the opportunity to attain a college degree or a professional career. The guidebooks bring together many of the plan’s most important elements into three booklets:

• Early Childhood Guidebook: Preparing Children for Kindergarten; Strengthening Early Childhood Programs and Community Networks

• High School Student Planning Guidebook: A Path to Prosperity for Every Student

• Teaching and Learning Guidebook: A Path to High-Quality Instruction in Every Classroom

Each guidebook provides practitioners with detailed information on state policies, statewide programs, and access to tools that help individual educators achieve goals with their students. The intent of publishing the guidebooks is not, however, for every school or school district to adopt all of the items they contain. Rather, the guidebooks provide a variety of options for use in the distinct, unique plans each district and school should have for itself and its students.

It is, after all, a result of those individual, local plans that our state’s education outcomes are moving in such a positive direction. Consider these facts:

• The class of 2014 set the state’s all-time graduation record, with a four-year rate of 74.6 percent, 1.1 percentage points above the preceding class. Over the last 13 years, the graduation rate has increased by 13.3 percentage points.

• The class of 2014 went on to establish an all-time high for college attendance, increasing the number of college freshmen in Louisiana by 1,228, a 5.6 percent increase from 2013. Over the last three years alone, Louisiana has seen 12 percent growth in the number of students entering college each year.

There is no one plan for each student’s life. Likewise, each teacher needs different supports, and each school has goals all its own. Louisiana Believes starts with the idea that those closest to students – parents, teachers, and administrators – should be trusted to determine the best path for children. The Louisiana Guidebooks are tools for them to use in carrying out that most important of missions.

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HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT PLANNING GUIDEBOOK: A PATH TO PROSPERITY FOR EVERY STUDENTThe greatest factor in both the growth of our state’s economy and the ability of our high school graduates to become productive citizens will be the skills with which young people are equipped. While most jobs do not require a four-year college degree, high-growth high-wage jobs in Louisiana almost always require education after high school. A high school’s most important role is to help students attain the knowledge and capabilities that make possible adult opportunities.

Postsecondary education provides expansive opportunities across a wide range of career paths and interests. Regardless of the area of study, completion of even some college makes a person more likely to secure a job with a living wage. With the expansion over the last decade of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS), the merit-based Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS), the need-based GO Grant, the Early Start dual enrollment program, and other initiatives designed to increase college access, Louisiana (65.3%) exceeds the national average (63.3%) in the percentage of recent high school graduates who enroll directly in college.

Since Louisiana began requiring all public high school students to take the ACT series in 2013, the state has seen a dramatic increase in the number of seniors earning qualifying scores for TOPS, boosting students on both the TOPS University pathway and the Jump Start TOPS Tech pathway. The number of seniors earning a TOPS-qualifying score of at least 17 increased by 1,732 since 2013 and by 6,339 since 2012.

Recent data released from the College Board shows the number of Louisiana students scoring 3 or higher on Advanced Placement (AP®) exams has increased 24.6 percent, the highest in the nation.

Louisiana Believes, the state’s comprehensive plan to prepare students for college and career success, includes a system of related policies and programs that: a) help schools provide students with pathways to future prosperity; b) give schools the resources to offer these pathways; and, c) reward schools when students achieve their goals.

This Guidebook is a series of short documents showing administrators, counselors, and teachers how to use key policies, programs, and resources to help both students and schools achieve their goals.

The Guidebook includes brief chapters on the subjects below.

1. Planning for struggling students through Individual Graduation Plan guidance and providing high school courses necessary to complete fundamental freshman course requirements in Transitional 9th Grade.

2. Focusing 9th and 10th grade students mastering a set of foundational academic skills in core subjects instead of committing them to a single graduation path too early in high school, before they have had the chance to explore and discover their true interests.

3. Developing basic and advanced college and workplace skills in the 11th and 12th grades to prepare students for college and career success, and ensure they are competitive in any workplace or academic environment.

4. Counseling and supporting student access to graduation pathways they discover are right for them, utilizing assessments, data, new sources of funding, the Supplemental Course Academy, and the Statewide Counselor Assistance Center.

5. Earning recognition for school excellence through an accountability system that rewards schools for helping students successfully pursue their college and career aspirations.

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PLAN FOR STRUGGLING STUDENTS MIDDLE SCHOOL CREDIT OPPORTUNITIESMiddle school students may earn high school credits if the district can assure course content meets Louisiana Core Academic Standards and is at a high school level. LEAs may permit students to earn Carnegie credit as middle school and high school students in two ways:

1. by passing a course in which the student is enrolled and meeting instructional time requirements, as set forth in the Carnegie Credit and Credit Flexibility section below (this includes Act 833 eligible students); or

2. by demonstrating proficiency, as set forth in the Carnegie Credit and Credit Flexibility section on page 9.

ARRIVING ON THE HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUSThe 9th grade transition is a critical time for high school students, often determining the likelihood of graduation. As districts and schools seek to address the challenges of 9th grade transition, it is critical (a) to ensure a smooth, well-planned transition for all students and, (b) in particular, to plan proper supports for struggling students who need additional academic remediation.

This reference document is intended to help counselors (a) support school-wide student planning through Individual Graduation Plans and (b) implement Transitional 9th Grade for appropriate students.

STEP 1: IDENTIFY STUDENTS.

Identify non-proficient 8th grade students and the areas in which they are proficient or non-proficient. Due to the transitioning of assessments in the spring of 2015, LEAs will determine appropriate placement criteria. Following a review of Pupil Progression Plans, most LEAs are basing these decisions on the following data points:

• benchmark assessments• performance on classroom assessments• course grades• student growth• IEP goals• attendance

Remediation: Students failing to achieve the standard required for promotion to the 9th grade shall participate in summer remediation to be placed in Transitional 9th Grade. Schools shall provide counseling and a variety of remediation options (face-to-face and online) to help students succeed in their remediation efforts.

At the conclusion of the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years, LEAs shall follow the guidelines set forth in §701.B to determine, based on evidence of student learning, whether eighth grade students may be promoted to the ninth grade or placed on a high school campus in transitional ninth grade. The percentage of an LEA’s eighth graders placed in transitional ninth grade is expected to remain stable over time. In the event that the percentage of an LEA’s eighth graders placed in transitional ninth grade in 2015-2016 exceeds the percentage of eighth graders in that LEA eligible for transitional ninth grade at the conclusion of the 2013-2014 school year, the local superintendent of that LEA shall provide a written justification to the state superintendent.

STEP 2: DETERMINE PLACEMENT OF NON-PROFICIENT STUDENTS.

• The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) adopted policy to support student placement into Transitional 9th Grade to improve the likelihood of high school graduation. The policy highlights of the Transitional 9th Grade include:

Local Decision Making: Placement in Transitional 9th Grade shall be at the discretion of the local school or school system where the student was enrolled in 8th grade. However, schools are highly encouraged to make such placements, as data show that students placed on a high school campus are less likely to drop out. The School Building Level Committee (SBLC) at the middle school will review standardized test scores, past coursework, and student behavioral data to determine the most appropriate setting for each student.

CHECKLIST PLAN FOR STRUGGLING STUDENTS

Identify students

Determine student placement

Plan for student support

Select appropriate curriculum

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STEP 3: PLAN FOR STUDENT SUPPORT.

Create a customized counseling structure (e.g., a support team) to support each Transitional 9th Grade student. The College Board’s National Office for School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA), has created guides for school counselors to create a comprehensive program of individual student planning for college and career readiness.

Career counseling, a part of career development, is a focused effort starting in middle school and accelerating in high school to help students: 1) identify the career they might pursue; 2) attain the competencies and certifications they need to secure entry-level employment; and 3) build the habits and life skills necessary to be productive adults. Effective career counseling should:

• encourage all teachers in each pathway to become de facto career counselors in their specialty, an informal-but-powerful strategy;

• reinforce emphasis on joint curricular planning between academic and CTE teachers;

• retain career counseling capacity (in-person or online) to provide all students with some form/modality of one-on-one career and college planning in both 10th and 12th grades;

• form (or expand) career-technical students organizations (CTSOs) in targeted job sectors, relying on teacher-advisors and industry partners to mentor the student-members of these organizations;

• develop region-wide teacher professional development (PD) modules emphasizing Jump Start and specific high-demand job sectors that can be implemented in every school district;

• recruit “near-peer” mentors (i.e., recent graduates who are gainfully employed in targeted industries), with the option of “importing” and “exporting” some of these young success stories to outlying parishes that may lack this population; and

• hold multi-school district industry mentoring events where students from different high schools can meet with industry partners who can then perhaps provide informal mentoring or help form CTSOs.

Determine how often this structure should evaluate an individual student’s progress, specifying the data the support team will use to identify student progress and gaps.Quarterly support team meetings are recommended as interim progress checks.

• Review course grades

• Review common assessments

• Review attendance records

• Review discipline reports

• Review teacher/mentor evaluations

Evaluate student growth and identify next steps.• Review academic data to determine if student is progressing

• Assess whether the student has socially acclimated to the high school campus and matured in his/her academic life (attendance, course work, homework, class participation and study habits)

• Plan ongoing counseling and mentoring

• Create an Individualized Graduation Plan that will support the student in the 9th grade cohort based on his/her ongoing needs

Provide career readiness course opportunities.Career development is a lifelong process that students begin in middle school and accelerate in high school. Career development includes:

a) developing an understanding of different career opportunities;

b) learning the foundational academic skills necessary to attain and succeed in employment;

c) developing the behavioral skills necessary to attain and succeed in employment;

d) learning about different college options (types of schools, programs and schedules); and

e) developing individual plans to guide learning and career searches, during and after high school.

A Middle School/Transitional Ninth Grade Career Readiness opportunity includes:

• Career Exploration – career fairs, career presentations, Career Awareness course (including Financial Literacy, student interest testing)

• College Awareness – school posters, college representatives presentations, college campus visit(s)

Consider outside resources to support effective implementation.Talent Development Secondary (TDS): • School-wide improvement model for grades 6-12, including

Ninth Grade Success Academy

• Promotes 4 pillars of support including teams, PD for instructors, tiered student support, and school culture/climate

• Costs depend upon resources/trainings requested and scope of program

Diplomas Now:• Targeted to specific students• Focused on “providing the right students with the right

support at the right time”• Identifies future dropouts as early as 6th grade• Combines Talent Development, City Year, and Communities

in Schools resources to support student and school• Costs depend on school size/need

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STEP 4: SELECT APPROPRIATE CURRICULUM.

Principals and teachers must be critical consumers of instructional materials. Whether districts enforce a particular set of materials or not, principals determine the quality of their use and implementation. No program is a silver bullet, but principals have a series of resources to help them choose, supplement, and implement quality materials.

The Department helps schools choose aligned curricula through their instructional resource reviews. Hundreds of titles have been reviewed based off of the requests from schools and districts. These reviews, led by educators and experts from across the state, assess alignment to Louisiana’s state standards. The Department then tiers programs so that schools can easily see which programs are more and less aligned. The rubrics for these reviews are available so that districts can review the materials on their own as needed as well.

Through these reviews, the Department identified a number of trends in missing components of curricula. Given that districts either had or need to purchase programs that are not fully aligned, the Department committed to releasing a series of resources to help districts supplement any program they are currently using. These include:

• Teacher toolbox: Comprehensive set of tools for educators and districts. Teachers can also access grade specific libraries for easier use.

• English language arts guidebooks: Full unit plans for full courses grades K-12. Each unit includes three culminating tasks and lessons that prepare students for those tasks, integrating rich texts and all standards.

• English language arts framework: An interactive framework complete with recommended instructional strategies that are embedded in the guidebook. These strategies can also be used with any curriculum.

• Math Guidebooks: Provide two types of tasks to help students master the conceptual skills necessary for long term success. Also included is guidance on how to target critical remediation for struggling students.

Once strong curriculum and supplemental materials are chosen, principals and teachers align formative and interim assessments to ensure they know where students are and are not learning the standards.

Act 833 of the 2014 Legislative session allows for certain students with disabilities to demonstrate proficiency through alternate means to improve the likelihood of high school graduation. The policy highlights of Act 833 alternate pathways include:

IEP Team Decision Making: Students must meet specific eligibility criteria outlined in the law to be eligible for an alternate pathway to graduation. If a student is eligible under Act 833, the IEP team has the discretion to determine when to apply individual performance criteria that is used when determining whether to award requirements necessary for

graduation. IEP teams are highly encouraged to review data and apply individual performance criteria in areas where most appropriate based on the student’s individual needs.

STEP 5: SCHEDULE STUDENT COURSEWORK.

Exemplar struggling student school schedule

SUBJECTFOUNDATIONAL

SKILLS CORE/ T9 CREDITS

EXAMPLE COURSES

English 2 English I, English II

Math 2 Algebra I, Geometry

Physical Education

1.5 Physical Education

Health .5 Health

Science 2

Biology I, Environmental

Science, or Physical Science

Social Studies 2 Civics, U.S. History

Remedial/Intervention

Courses (if applicable)

2Remedial or

Intervention English/ Math

Electives 2

Career Readiness, Agriculture, Business, Family and Consumer

Science, Art, Band, Etc.

Total 14

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*Counselor Tools & Supports*INDIVIDUAL GRADUATION PLANSBy the end of the eighth grade, every student (with the assistance of his parent or other legal custodian and school guidance personnel, counselor) or IEP team (when applicable) shall begin to develop an Individual Graduation Plan (IGP). An IGP guides the next academic year’s coursework, assisting students in exploring educational and career possibilities and in making appropriate secondary and postsecondary education decisions as part of an overall career postsecondary plan.

PUPIL PROGRESSION PLANSThe Pupil Progression Plan is the comprehensive plan developed and adopted by each LEA. The plan is based on student performance on the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program and is aligned to state laws and BESE policies. At the conclusion of the 2014-2015 school year, due to a delay in test scores resulting from the administration of new assessments, placement decisions for fourth and eighth grade students shall be made according to local pupil progression plans, which shall outline the evidence of student learning used to make promotion decisions. Such evidence shall include, but not be limited to, performance on classroom assignments or benchmark assessments (Bulletin 1566 §701).

COMMUNITY SERVICE ENDORSEMENT LEAs may allow students to earn a Community Service Diploma Endorsement by completing documented community service according to the following schedule:

GRADE SERVICE REQUIREMENT

9 10 hours

10 20 hours

11 25 hours

12 25 hours

Total 80 hours

LEAs shall collect documentation of community service hours. Students transferring into a participating LEA after the ninth grade or students graduating early may receive an endorsement provided that the minimum requirement for each year they attend a participating LEA is met and a total of 80 community service hours are completed prior to graduation. (Bulletin 741 §2317)

*Accountability Implications*INCLUSION IN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION COHORTStudents placed in Transitional 9th Grade shall not be included in the high school’s graduation cohort during their first year on the high school campus. These students can enroll in high school-level classes, including career education courses, that parents and schools deem appropriate, with a goal of keeping them on track for on-time graduation. Following one year in Transitional 9th Grade, students shall enter the high school cohort, the same year in which they would enter the cohort had they been held back in eighth grade. Offering remediation in an age-appropriate setting is critical to the success of low-performing students, particularly during the transition to high school. The student is automatically enrolled in 9th grade the year after T9 – this means that students who dropout in T9 willbe in the graduation cohort.

DROPOUT CREDIT ACCUMULATION INDEX (DCAI)The transition from 8th to 9th grade is critical for student success. Schools with an 8th grade earn points for the numbers of credits students accumulate by the end of the 9th grade (and Transitional 9th Grade, where applicable). This encourages a successful transition to high school by allowing students access to Carnegie credits early and often. Points are awarded as follows:

CARNEGIE COURSE CREDITS (earned by the end of 9th grade)

DCAI POINTS PER STUDENT

6+ 150 pts.

5.5 125 pts.

5 100 pts.

4.5 75 pts.

4 50 pts.

3.5 25 pts.

3 or less 0 pts.

3 year 8th grade student 0 pts.

Dropout 0 pts.

Note: “Credit accumulation for transitional 9th graders includes through the end of T9 (e.g., transitional 9th graders do not have two years, transitional 9th and 9th grade, to earn credits for DCAI).

End-of-Course (EOC) tests: Students in T9 are encouraged to take EOCs. If they score below proficient, then they may retest without penalty to the school. If they score proficient, then the score shall count toward the high school, just as it would for an 8th grader who was successful on an EOC. Act 833 eligible students in grades 9-12 are required to take all EOCs corresponding to the courses in which they are enrolled. Points are awarded for scores of Good or higher.

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FOCUSING ON 9TH AND 10TH GRADE STUDENTSOVERVIEWDuring the first two years of high schools, students should focus on attaining basic levels of literacy, numeracy, and problem solving skills. Every 9th and 10th grade student (beginning 2014-2015 and thereafter) will take core academic classes to work towards a diploma. Following the student’s 10th grade year, a student may choose to work toward a Jump Start TOPS Tech Pathway or pursue the TOPS University Pathway. Students may choose both pathways. Decisions are made with counseling and guidance, based on the student’s interests, capabilities and ambitions.

STEP 1: IDENTIFY STUDENTS.• Data indicators for student placement include: 1) the student’s

reading level (e.g., The Lexile® Framework for Reading); 2) Statewide assessments results (if available); 3) results of benchmark assessments rated as Tier 1 and Tier 2 through the Instructional Materials Review; 4) State-released ELA and Math practice test results; 5) performance results on classroom assessments aligned to the State Standards (e.g. teacher-made assessments in EAGLE); 6) results of assessments aligned to the priority content outlined in the assessment guidance; 7) growth from beginning of the year pre-test to end of year post-test aligned to the State Standards; 8) IEP goals; 9) Explore® test; 10) student growth data; 11) course grades; 12) attendance; and 13) student graduation support profile.

• Student Profile Considerations (Employment, Career Inventory, Transient)

Employment Considerations» Readiness – Does the student have the necessary skills?

» Interests – Knowing what students find worthy of their time and their hobbies outside of school go a long way in establishing rapport and in building a higher interest level in subject matter.

» Anecdotal Information – offers important considerations about students in terms of their strengths and concerns.

Career Inventory Considerations» Career interest inventories typically describe or illustrate

(often with pictures and videos) many occupations and job tasks and ask youth to rate how much they would enjoy doing each job or task. By rating their level of interest in a wide range of occupations, these inventories help young people recognize their predominant interests and preferences.

» Career interest inventories can be used in school classes, in afterschool and community youth programs, in workforce development programs, and at home.

» Explore free career interest inventory tools that youth can access on the Internet.

» Adapt methods and materials to suit individual youth needs.

» Use the career interest inventory results as a starting point for engaging youth in exploration and planning for careers and postsecondary education.

Transient Considerations» Provide solid transition programs for mobile students» Include administrative procedures that increase the

overall quality of the school» Implement flexible classroom strategies» Incorporate collaborative support and effective

communication

CHECKLIST FOCUS ON 9TH & 10TH GRADE STUDENTS

Identify students

Plan for student support

Select appropriate curriculum

Schedule student coursework

Provide counselor tools and support

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STEP 2: PLAN FOR STUDENT SUPPORT.

Offer a 9th and 10th grade Career Readiness Course with the following components:

Career Awareness

• Career Fair

• Workplace Visits

• Role play

• Campus visits

• In class speakers (in-person or online via the Nepris system)

• Mentors

College Awareness

• Campus Visits

• College Fair

• Financial Literacy

Information about the online Nepris platform that provides students and teachers with online access to industry experts locally and across the country is available from JumpStart@la.gov.

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONSStudents should continue to benefit from student organizations to support their educational endeavors. Examples:

• National Beta Club (often called “Beta Club” or simply “Beta”) is an organization for 4th through 12th grade students in the United States. Its purpose is “to promote the ideals of academic achievement, character, leadership, and service among elementary and secondary school students.”

• 4-H helps develop citizenship, leadership, responsibility, and life skills of youth through experiential learning programs and a positive youth development approach. Though typically thought of as an agriculturally-focused organization as a result of its history, 4-H today focuses on citizenship, healthy living, science, engineering, and technology programs.

• The National FFA Organization makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

• Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) is a state-based national non-profit organization dedicated to preventing dropouts among young people who are most at-risk.

• Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) enhances the preparation for college and careers by providing co-curricular programs that integrate into classroom instruction, applying learning in the context of business, connecting to business and the community, and promoting competition.

STEP 3: SELECT APPROPRIATE CURRICULA.

Instructional tools are one of the first decisions that will dramatically impact student learning. If principals and teachers do not critically consume the materials, programs can have a detrimental impact on student learning. No program is a silver bullet, so principals must support their teachers to choose and use each program in a smart way that supports the unique students in their buildings.

To select appropriate curricula, principals and teacher can take the following steps:

The Department helps schools choose aligned curricula through their instructional resource reviews. Hundreds of titles have been reviewed based off of the requests from schools and districts. These reviews, led by educators and experts from across the state, assess alignment to Louisiana’s state standards. The Department then tiers programs so that schools can easily see which programs are more and less aligned. The rubrics for these reviews are available so that districts can review the materials on their own as needed as well.

Through these reviews, the Department identified a number of trends in missing components of curricula. Given that districts either had or need to purchase programs that are not fully aligned, the Department committed to releasing a series of resources to help districts supplement any program they are currently using. These include:

• Teacher toolbox: Comprehensive set of tools for educators and districts. Teachers can also access grade specific libraries for easier use.

• English language arts guidebooks: Full unit plans for full courses grades K-12. Each unit includes three culminating tasks and lessons that prepare students for those tasks, integrating rich texts and all standards.

• English language arts framework: An interactive framework complete with recommended instructional strategies that are embedded in the guidebook. These strategies can also be used with any curriculum.

• Math Guidebooks: Provide two types of tasks to help students master the conceptual skills necessary for long term success. Also included is guidance on how to target critical remediation for struggling students.

Once strong curriculum and supplemental materials are chosen, principals and teachers align formative and interim assessments to ensure they know where students are and are not learning the standards.

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STEP 4: SCHEDULE STUDENT COURSEWORK.

IDENTIFY COMMON FOUNDATIONAL COURSEWORKLouisiana’s 9th and 10th grade students will take common foundational coursework, irrespective of the diploma pathway they ultimately receive. Each student will be required to complete 2 units of English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Health & PE in these grades.

DIPLOMA FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS COURSE REQUIREMENTS

SUBJECTFOUNDATIONAL

SKILLS CORE CREDITS

EXAMPLE COURSES

English 2 English I, English II

Math 2 Algebra I, Geometry

Physical Education

1.5 Physical Education

Health .5 Health

Science 2 Biology I, Chemistry

Social Studies 2 Civics, U.S. History

Total 10

SUPPLEMENTAL COURSE ACADEMY/COURSE CHOICEStudents who cannot find the necessary courses at their school should consult with their counselor and consider leveraging the resources of the Course Choice Program. Course Choice gives school districts and other public schools an allocation related to the cost of high school credit courses. Course Choice course offerings are individualized to the needs of secondary students and provided outside the traditional secondary school. Offerings include:

• Career and technical preparation course offerings;

• Academic work required to achieve TOPS;

• Advanced coursework not available at the school due to limited resources (including AP® courses);

• Dual Enrollment course offerings at virtually all Louisiana postsecondary institutions; and

• Intensive remediation for students struggling to stay on pace for graduation

To access the student enrollment system for Course Choice offerings click here.

*Counselor Tools & Supports*INDIVIDUAL GRADUATION PLANSEach student’s Individual Graduation Plan shall list the required core/foundational courses to be taken through the tenth grade and shall identify the courses to be taken in the first year of high school. The plan shall be reviewed annually and updated as necessary to identify the courses to be taken each year until the required core courses are complete prior to entering a student-selected graduation pathway.

CARNEGIE CREDIT AND CREDIT FLEXIBILITYWhen awarding credit based on instructional time, LEAs shall provide a minimum of 7,965 instructional minutes for one Carnegie credit, and students shall be in attendance for a minimum of 7,515 minutes. In order to grant one-half Carnegie credit, LEAs shall provide a minimum of 3,983 instructional minutes, and students shall be in attendance for a minimum of 3,758 minutes.

When awarding Carnegie credit that includes individual performance criteria as outlined in Act 833, LEAs must ensure that IEP teams:

• Document the student’s Act 833 eligibility in SER

• Include goals and objectives specific to the course in the student’s IEP

When awarding Carnegie credit based on demonstrated proficiency, LEAs, on behalf of any student or group of students, must inform the Department of the following:

• the name of the examination used to measure proficiency, if nationally recognized, or a copy of the examination used to measure proficiency,

• the score required to demonstrate proficiency or a listing of requirements to demonstrate proficiency through portfolio submissions, if locally developed or not nationally recognized.

Proficiency in a course with a state-administered End-of-Course exam must be demonstrated using the End-of-Course exam. The Department may require revisions of assessments in order to ensure that they adequately measure proficiency.

Students meeting the requirements for Carnegie credit based on proficiency shall have the course title, the year proficiency was demonstrated, P (pass) and the unit of credit earned entered on their transcript. LEAs shall determine whether to award the letter grade earned on the proficiency assessment(s) or a P (pass) when a student demonstrates proficiency.

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SAMPLE 9th AND 10th GRADE STUDENT SCHEDULES

STUDENT A SAMPLE SCHEDULE

STUDENT B SAMPLE SCHEDULE

9th Grade

Algebra I

English I

Environmental Science

Civics

IBCA

Career Readiness Course

Physical Education I

Algebra I

English I

Environmental Science

Civics

IBCA

Career Readiness Course

Physical Education I

10th Grade

Business Math

English II

Biology

Agriscience I

NCCER CORE

Physical Education II/Health

Spanish I

Geometry

English II

Biology

Information Management for Allied Health Professionals

Medical Terminology

Marching Band/Health

Elective Course

*Accountability Implications*The graduation index in the accountability system is the core measure of the extent to which high schools have prepared students for college or a career – with both treated as equally valuable. The table below indicates how schools are rewarded in the accountability system for the achievements of both TOPS University Pathway and Jump Start TOPS Tech Pathway students.

INDEX POINTS FALL 2016 SPS (2014-2015 COHORT)

150

HS Diploma plus (a) AP® score of 3 or higher, IB® Score of 4 or higher, or CLEP® score of 50 or higher OR (b) Advanced statewide Jump Start credential* Four-year graduates achieving both an advanced statewide Jump Start credential and a test score at a

qualifying level will generate 160 points.

110

HS Diploma plus(a) At least one passing course grade for TOPS core curriculum credit of the following type: AP®**, college

credit, dual enrollment, or IB® OR(b) Basic statewide Jump Start credential* Students achieving both (a) and (b) will generate 115 points.** Students must take the AP® exam and pass the course to earn 110 points.

100 Diploma (includes Career Diploma student with a regional Jump Start credential)

25 HiSET®

0 Non-graduates, Certificate of Achievement

140 5th year graduate with AP® 3+ or IB® 4+ or CLEP® 50+

75 5th year graduate w/diploma

50 Sixth year graduate

* For the basic credential 110 point reward, dual enrollment must count for TOPS Core Curriculum starting with 2014-2015 graduates. For an Industry-Based Certifications (IBC), starting with the graduating class of 2017-2018 (2019 SPS), only WIC-approved IBCs will be included as basic statewide credential.

** Students must take the AP®/IB® exam and pass the course to earn 110 points.

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DEVELOPING ADVANCED & BASIC COLLEGE & WORKPLACE SKILLS: 11th and 12th GradesStudent pathways should connect with real outcomes after high school – for both college-bound students and career-bound students. The TOPS University Pathway ensures that students going to four-year colleges have taken a true college preparatory curriculum while in high school and have every chance possible to receive TOPS. Students who complete a Jump Start TOPS Tech Pathway will have attained an industry credential and also be prepared to continue postsecondary opportunities.

Students on the TOPS University Pathway are rewarded for completing more rigorous AP®, IB®, and dual enrollment courses because these courses receive additional weight in the calculation of the TOPS GPA: TOPS weighted GPA Grid. The TOPS GPA determines not only a student’s eligibility for the TOPS award but also determines if the student is qualified to receive additional financial support during college. Students who receive TOPS tend to graduate from college; students who attend a four-year university but do not achieve TOPS tend to end up with no diploma and a great deal of debt.

Jump Start is the state’s new graduation pathway for Louisiana’s students. Postsecondary institutions, business, and industry will form partnerships with LEAs to work collaboratively in providing career courses and workplace experiences for high school students. The Jump Start vision: students of all interests and capabilities will graduate high school by earning credentials that provide new opportunities for a successful adulthood for all students.

State-of-the-art career and technical education facilities, equipment and instruction will be the elements of Jump Start success. Students completing a statewide or regional Jump Start pathway will also be prepared to continue their postsecondary education and training utilizing a TOPS Tech scholarship.

Because Jump Start credentials offer meaningful workplace opportunities for students on any diploma path, the state will merge the Basic Diploma with the Career Diploma, starting with the cohort entering high school in fall 2014. No student who plans to graduate in 2014, 2015, 2016, or 2017 will be forced to vacate his/her path to a Basic Diploma, but starting in 2017-2018, the state will not award a Basic Diploma. Students pursuing a Basic Diploma through spring 2017 can either achieve a Jump Start credential or complete an Area of Concentration to meet graduation requirements. Thus, through spring 2017, Area of Concentration options for this diploma remain in place.

CHECKLIST DEVELOPING ADVANCED AND BASIC COLLEGE

AND WORKPLACE SKILLS FOR 11th/12th GRADE

Select the initial student pathway

Identify student interests

Research credential and career opportunities

Identify appropriate coursework

Distinguish among the various potential secondary pathways

Pursue postsecondary coursework/authentic workplace experiences while in high school

Explore postsecondary pursuits

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

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STEP 1: SELECT THE INITIAL STUDENT PATHWAY.

INDIVIDUAL GRADUATION PLANBy the end of the tenth grade, each student’s Individual Graduation Plan will be updated to include the recommended sequence of courses for successful completion of his/her chosen pathways.

This updated Individual Graduation Plan will be based on the student’s academic record, talents and interests and shall outline high school graduation requirements relevant to the student’s chosen postsecondary goals. Each student, with the assistance of his/her parent or other legal custodian and school guidance counselor shall be allowed to choose the high school curriculum framework and related graduation requirements that best meets his/her postsecondary goals. Each student’s Individual Graduation Plan will continue to be reviewed annually and updated or revised as needed.

Identifying an appropriate individualized student graduation pathway is a critical step at the end of the 10th grade year. Students can participate in one or both pathways, TOPS University or Jump Start TOPS Tech. Both pathways help students prepare for postsecondary success and gain access to scholarships. Both pathways enable schools to receive equal accountability system rewards.Students selecting the TOPS University Pathway will continue to pursue core academic credits that mirror the TOPS Core curriculum. Having completed all core course credits, students may graduate from high school early, or pursue AP®, IB®, CLEP®, or dual enrollment credits. Students graduating on the TOPS University Pathway may also complete Jump Start courses as electives and earn a credential that would generate Jump Start accountability points. TOPS University Pathway requirements can be found here.

Students pursuing the Jump Start TOPS Tech Pathway may earn basic or advanced credentials in statewide or regional career areas or equivalent credentials earned through dual enrollment coursework (Certificates of Applied Sciences, Certificates of Technical Studies, or Technical Diplomas). Students graduating with a Jump Start TOPS Tech Career Diploma will be required to attain Jump Start statewide or regional credentials. Through elective coursework students may also earn the TOPS University credential. Jump Start TOPS Tech Career Diploma graduation requirements can be found here.

Jump Start is a dynamic, adaptive program structured to evolve and grow at the pace of business. The three basic tenets of Jump Start are: 1) collaboration among districts and regional teams; 2) sharing of best practices and innovations across districts, so all Louisiana students benefit; and 3) certification, the requirement that Jump Start Career Diplomas require students to attain high-value industry credentials.

KEY JUMP START CONCEPTS

Regional TeamsRegional teams are public-private partnerships made up of school systems and their governing authorities, two-year colleges, local industry, and economic and workforce development experts, who together develop innovative courses of study for students pursuing a Jump Start diploma.

Graduation Pathways

Graduation pathways indicate how students can graduate with a Jump Start diploma by taking courses and attaining industry credentials relevant to an industry sector. Each pathway includes: a) Sample Careers; b) Pathway Course Progressions (the complete list of courses students can take to satisfy the 9 CTE course credit Jump Start requirement); c) Culminating Credentials; and, d) Sample Schedule. All approved graduation pathways are available on the Department’s website.

Statewide CredentialsIndustry credentials approved by the Workforce Investment Council (WIC) for high-wage jobs in high-growth career sectors that are valued by employers when making entry-level hiring decisions.

Regional Core CredentialsCore credentials prepare a student for a specific career path relevant to a region’s economy (example: customer service). Core credentials are analogous to a “major” for Jump Start students.

Complementary Credentials

Complementary credentials have value across industry sectors (examples: first aid, OSHA safety, computer literacy). Complementary credentials help students attain entry-level employment.

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PLAN® SCORE, WORKKEYS®, STUDENT PROFILEThe College Board’s National Office for School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA), has created guides for school counselors to create a comprehensive program of individual student planning for college and career readiness.

Indicators for student placement:

Benchmark, EOC, ACT® Aspire™, ACT® Plan®, Explore®, and WorkKeys® test results can be used to provide guidance for placement in the appropriate diploma pathway.

• Benchmark Data: School districts that use benchmark assessments and common assessments can use that data to guide students to the pathway where they will be most successful.

• EOC Data: Students’ EOC results may be used as a guidepost over time to select pathways for students.

• ACT Plan® data can be used to predict and generate rosters of students who are likely to score a 3 or higher on a given AP® Exam. Based on research that shows moderate to strong correlations between PSAT/NMSQT® scores and AP® Exam results, AP® Potential is designed to help you increase access to AP® and to ensure that no student who has the chance of succeeding in AP® is overlooked.

• WorkKeys® Data helps ensure that individuals are ready for work—and for life. If students are going to be adequately prepared for the workforce, they need to understand the requirements for jobs they are considering. WorkKeys® helps students determine the skill levels required for various jobs.

• Teacher/Parent Feedback: Both teacher feedback and parental input are essential in successful placement of students in the best pathway. Schools and districts can work to develop forms that are effective at communicating best placement to school counselors.

STEP 2: IDENTIFY STUDENTS INTERESTS.

Utilizing the PLAN® World-of-Work Map can assist students with identifying careers. This is a system that summarizes and displays basic similarities and differences between occupations. It is visual and interactive, designed to engage users in the process of career exploration. Louisiana Workforce Commission tools can be utilized to identify relevant regional job demand. Construction companies will hire more than 86,000 workers in Louisiana through 2016. Employers need welders, pipefitters, electricians, scaffold builders, carpenters and many other craft professionals. Through the Louisiana Build Your Future website students can research the requirements to start working toward a craft profession. They can research wages, learn about skills and training required for various trades, and view and apply for current job openings.

STEP 3: RESEARCH CREDENTIAL AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES.

Students need to research credential and career opportunities. Regional Jump Start Teams will identify specific career opportunities relevant to each region of the state. Students will pursue industry credentials for these career pathways. Statewide IBC credentials provide graduates the opportunity for a credential with livelong value.

STEP 4: IDENTIFY APPROPRIATE COURSEWORK.

Jump Start offers students flexibility by choosing a pathway and spending time in junior and senior years taking courses designed by regional teams of industry leaders, economic development organizations, technical colleges, and school districts whose sequences of in- and out-of-school courses and apprenticeships are designed to yield work-ready graduates. The specific credentials will vary by region, but they may include partial or full completion of an Associate Degree at a community college or receipt of a nationally recognized career certification. Students need to meet pre-requisite course/pathway requirements prior to enrollment (age, course pre-requisites, PLAN®, WorkKeys®, etc.). These will vary by pathway. The various curricular, age, exam, and certifying agencies of each pathway can be found within each graduation pathway.

Students pursuing the TOPS University Pathway will continue to pursue core academic credits that mirror the TOPS Core curriculum. Having completed all core course credits, students may graduate from high school early; pursue AP®, IB®, or dual enrollment credits; or pursue a Jump Start Career Credential. TOPS University Pathway graduation requirements can be found here.

Students should review the entrance requirements for the colleges of interest and ensure that all necessary coursework is completed. Students staying in state need to meet the TOPS requirements in order to receive this valuable state-sponsored scholarship.

• TOPS Core Curriculum

• TOPS Opportunity Requirements

• TOPS Honors Requirements

• TOPS Tech Early Start

• TOPS Tech

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STEP 5: DISTINGUISH AMONG THE VARIOUS POTENTIAL SECONDARY PATHWAYS.

Louisiana’s Community and Technical Colleges: These are typically nonresidential and offer hundreds of two-year degrees and certifications that transfer to four-year universities

Four-year Universities: These are public universities, private universities, liberal arts colleges and career colleges offering bachelor’s degrees. All fall into the category of 4-year colleges and universities. These schools offer bachelor’s degrees, which are usually completed in four years of full-time study, and some may also have a graduate school that offers masters degrees.

Private and Out-of-state Universities: Using the ACT® College Search Tool students can explore private school and out-of-state college options.

TOPS Tech Early Start Private Training Providers: A TOPS-Tech Early Start Award may be used to fund any technical or applied course leading to an Industry-Based Certification, a Certification of Applied Science and a Certificate of Technical Sciences offered at a Louisiana public or nonpublic postsecondary education institution, or by any Louisiana training provider recognized by the Louisiana Workforce Commission and approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

STEP 6: PURSUE POSTSECONDARY COURSEWORK/AUTHENTIC WORKPLACE EXPERIENCES OPTIONS WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL.

Articulated CTE credit: The goal of Statewide Articulation, Success Through Articulation (STArt) is to assist in creating a coherent secondary-to-postsecondary transition process and reducing duplication of instructional efforts and costs associated with student mobility, in this case from a high school to a postsecondary institution, primarily to an LCTCS campus.

Workplace Exchange Experiences: Access to the types of authentic workplace experiences (e.g., guest speakers, job location visits, internships, etc.) that help students learn about career paths they might pursue should be made available through the Jump Start program. Jump Start seeks to make it possible for every Louisiana student to learn more about careers and life opportunities based on the input and guidance of industry experts and both experienced industry leaders and “near peer” recent graduates who have attained employment in high-growth job sectors. For more information, click here.

Advanced Placement: AP® courses offer students the opportunity to earn college credit by demonstrating mastery of rigorous content through high school-based courses. • To explore available Advanced Placement® courses, click here.• To view the AP® Exam schedule for Advanced Placement®

tests, click here.• To ensure Advanced Placement® test fees are covered by the

Department, click here.• To train more teachers to offer AP®, click here.• For more information on increasing AP® participation, click here.

The new cohort graduation index recognizes a score of 3 or higher on at least one AP® exam as the highest level of achievement earned by a cohort graduate. For details, click here.

International Baccalaureate®: IB® courses offer rigorous educational options to students with the potential to earn college credit while still in high school. For more information, click here.

CLEP® is a computer-based credit by exam opportunity that offers the chance for students to be awarded college credit for knowledge gained through dual enrollment coursework. CLEP® recognizes the value of prior learning and validates a student’s experience and knowledge acquired inside and outside of the classroom, such as workforce training and life experience. • High schools may apply to become an authorized CLEP®

testing center through an application and certification process. • For a list of CLEP® exam titles, click here.

Dual enrollment is the simultaneous enrollment of a student in both high school and college at which the student receives credit on both their high school and college transcripts for the same course. Students may enroll in college courses at local technical, community and/or four-year colleges. Students enrolled in a college course follow the college curriculum. The course is taught by either the college instructor or a high school instructor who is approved to teach the college course.

With dual enrollment, students may begin accumulating college credits while still in high school, thus providing a smoother transition to college after high school graduation. Students also have the opportunity to complete college faster – and at a lower cost – by earning college credits while still in high school. Dual enrollment courses are available to Louisiana students through the Course Choice Program.

Students must meet the admission standards of the college awarding the credit. Admissions standards vary among technical colleges, community colleges, and four-year universities.

For a list of TOPS aligned dual enrollment courses, click here.

STEP 7: POSTSECONDARY PURSUITS.

Students should follow the Junior/Senior year college planning steps outlined in the LELA College Planning Guide, Louisiana’s non-profit resource for college planning and support through statewide outreach initiatives to help assure student success on pathways to college.

STEP 8: COMPLETE THE FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA)

Students attending postsecondary schools and training are expected to contribute towards their education costs. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the form the U.S. Department of Education (ED) requires to determine the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). To apply for TOPS, students must complete the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the TOPS On-line Application. The FAFSA must be completed by students who qualify for federal grant aid and by students who are seeking other forms of financial aid.

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*Counselor Tools & Supports*FUNDINGThe 2014-2015 MFP provides schools with a variety of new funding sources (as described in this memo). These funding sources include:

• Supplemental Course Academy

• MFP Career Development Fund

• Carl Perkins

• TOPS TECH EARLY START

Importantly, districts and schools are NOT limited to spending only these funds on Jump Start courses and capabilities. Each district and school will determine what is best for its students, and which Jump Start investments help districts and schools earn the highest level of accountability points.

SAMPLE 11th AND 12th GRADE JUMP START STUDENT SCHEDULE

STUDENT A SAMPLE SCHEDULE

STUDENT B SAMPLE SCHEDULE

11th Grade

Financial Literacy

English III

U.S. History

NCCER Carpentry 1

Agriscience 2

Drafting

Elective Course

Financial Literacy

English III

U.S. History

Professional Practice Coding I

First Responder

Elective Course

Elective Course

12th Grade

Math Essentials

Business English

NCCER Carpentry 2

Cabinet Making 1

Jump Start Internship (3 credits)

Math Essentials

Business English

Nurse Assistant (3 credits)

Jump Start Internship (2 Credits)

SAMPLE 11th AND 12th GRADE TOPS UNIVERSITY STUDENT SCHEDULE

STUDENT A SAMPLE SCHEDULE

STUDENT B SAMPLE SCHEDULE

11th Grade

English III

Algebra II

Chemistry

US History

AP Macroeconomics

Spanish II

Digital Media I

English III: DE-English Composition I

Algebra II

AP Physics I

US History

Spanish II

Chemistry

AP European History (online Course Choice/SCA)

12th Grade

English IV

Advanced Math/ Pre-Calculus

Physics

World History

Elective

Art History: DE – CART 2103 Art History I

Digital Media II

English IV: DE-English Literature

Advanced Math/ Pre-Calculus

AP Physics II

Elective or AP Computer Science

Art History: DE – CART 2103 Art History

Advanced Career Readiness

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*Accountability Implications*For too long career outcomes have not been rewarded at the highest levels of our state’s accountability system, perpetuating the stigma against career pathways and creating little incentive to engage in public-private partnerships. Jump Start changes this by establishing specific rewards for career credentials at every level of the high school accountability system. The graduation index in the accountability system is the core measure of the extent to which high schools have prepared students for college or a career – with both treated as equally valuable. The table below indicates how schools are rewarded in the accountability system for the achievements of both TOPS University Pathway and Jump Start TOPS Tech Pathway students.

INDEX POINTS FALL 2016 SPS (2014-2015 COHORT)

150

HS Diploma plus (a) AP® score of 3 or higher, IB® Score of 4 or higher, or CLEP® score of 50 or higher OR (b) Advanced statewide Jump Start credential* Four-year graduates achieving both an advanced statewide Jump Start credential and a test score at a

qualifying level will generate 160 points.

110

HS Diploma plus(a) At least one passing course grade for TOPS core curriculum credit of the following type: AP®**, college

credit, dual enrollment, or IB® OR(b) Basic statewide Jump Start credential* Students achieving both (a) and (b) will generate 115 points.** Students must take the AP® exam and pass the course to earn 110 points.

100 Diploma (includes Career Diploma student with a regional Jump Start credential)

25 HiSET®

0 Non-graduates, Certificate of Achievement

140 5th year graduate with AP® 3+ or IB® 4+ or CLEP® 50+

75 5th year graduate w/diploma

50 Sixth year graduate

* For the basic credential 110 point reward, dual enrollment must count for TOPS Core Curriculum starting with 2014-2015 graduates. For an Industry-Based Certifications (IBC), starting with the graduating class of 2017-2018 (2019 SPS), only WIC-approved IBCs will be included as basic statewide credential.

** Students must take the AP®/IB® exam and pass the course to earn 110 points.

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APPENDIX I: HIGH SCHOOL GUIDEBOOK: PRINCIPAL & COUNSELING SUPPORTSLOUISIANA CONNECTLouisiana Connect created by the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA) in partnership with the Louisiana Board of Regents, the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE), and the Louisiana Workforce Commission, is an online tool to support students, family members, and counselors to explore careers, employers, and colleges, assess career interest, identify scholarship and grant opportunities to pay for post-secondary education, track TOPS and TOPS Tech eligibility, and create an Individual Graduation Plan.

LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION COUNSELOR ASSISTANCE CENTERThe Counselor Assistance Center is a resource to support students, parents and professional school counselors. All stakeholders have direct access to a licensed professional school counselor. Contact information is: 1-877-453-2721; SCA@la.gov

COUNSELOR SUPPORT TOOLBOXA variety of school-level professional school counselor tools is available via the LDOE Counselor Support Toolbox.

DATA RESOURCES21st Century careers are challenging. Data resources such as the ACT® Aspire™ series are useful when guiding students to choose the best pathway for college and career readiness.

SUITE OF MASTER SCHEDULE OPPORTUNITIES (BLOCK, FLEX-BLOCK, A/B BLOCK, 7 PERIOD DAY)

The master schedule is to a school what grading policies are to teachers and classrooms. It reveals the true beliefs, attitudes, values, and priorities of the school. The school’s master schedule is like looking at an MRI of the inner workings of a school. It is the window to the soul of the school.

How the master schedule is constructed may be as important as what the master schedule contains. While the master schedule reveals what is really important to the school, how the master schedule is constructed reveals how professionals interact and how key decisions are made in the school. Finally, the master schedule discloses the true beliefs and attitudes the staff holds about the value of input from all staff members.

RESOURCES FOR BUILDING A MASTER SCHEDULE:• The Master Schedule: A Culture Indicator

• Designing Quality Middle School Master Schedules

• Steps in Building a High School Schedule

• The Theory Behind Master Schedule Building and Issues

• A High School Schedule for 21st Century Learners

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Jump Start TOPS Tech (Career Diploma) Course RequirementsFor students entering 9th grade in 2014-2015 and beyond

UPDATED JULY 2015Act 403 of the 2015 Louisiana Legislative Session takes effect with students entering ninth grade in 2014-2015 and beyond. The legislation ensures that students planning and preparing for an industry based career have taken a preparatory core curriculum while in high school and have every chance possible to receive TOPS Tech.

Units Courses

ENGLISH = 4 Units

1 Unit English I

1 Unit English II

2 Units from the following:English III, English IV, AP® or IB® English courses, Business English, Technical Writing, or comparable Louisiana Technical College courses offered by Jump Start regional teams as approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

MATH = 4 Units

1 UnitAlgebra I, Algebra I Part One and Algebra I Part Two, or an applied or hybrid Algebra course

3 Units from the following:

Geometry, Math Essentials, Financial Literacy (formerly Financial Math), Business Math, Algebra II, Algebra III, Advanced Math - Functions and Statistics, Advanced Math - Pre-Calculus, Pre-Calculus, or comparable Louisiana Technical College courses offered by Jump Start regional teams as approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

SubstitutionsIntegrated Mathematics I, II, and III may be substituted for Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II for three mathematics credits

SCIENCE = 2 Units

1 Unit Biology I

1 Unit from the following:Chemistry I, Earth Science, Environmental Science, Physical Science, Agriscience I and Agriscience II (one unit combined), or AP® or IB® Science courses

SOCIAL STUDIES = 2 Units

1 Unit from the following: U.S. History, AP® U.S. History, IB® History of the Americas I

1 Unit from the following:Civics, Government, AP® U.S. Government and Politics: Comparative, or AP® U.S. Government and Politics: United States

Health/Physical Education = 2 Units (JROTC may be substituted for PE.)

1 Unit from the following: Physical Education I

½ Unit from the following: Physical Education II, Marching Band, Extracurricular Sports, Cheering, or Dance Teams

½ Unit from the following: Health Education (JROTC I and II may be used to meet the Health Ed) requirement

Jump Start = 9 Units

9 Units from the following:Jump Start course sequences, workplace experiences, and credentials as approved in Regional Jump Start proposals.

TOTAL = 23 Units

A student shall complete a regionally-designed, district-implemented series of Career and Technical Education Jump Start coursework and workplace-based learning experiences leading to a statewide or regional Jump Start credential. Each student’s Jump Start graduation pathway shall include courses and workplace experiences specific to the credential, courses related to foundational career skills requirements, and other courses (including career electives) that the Jump Start regional team determines are appropriate for the career pathway.

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TOPS University Diploma RequirementsFor students entering 9th grade in 2014-2015 and beyond

Units Courses

ENGLISH = 4 Units

1 Unit English I

1 Unit English II

1 Unit from the following:English III, AP® English Language Arts and Composition, IB® Literature, IB® Language & Literature, or IB® Literature & Performance

1 Unit from the following:English IV, AP® English Literature and Composition, IB® Literature, IB® Language & Literature, or IB® Literature & Performance

MATH = 4 Units

1 Unit Algebra I

1 Unit Geometry

1 UnitAlgebra II

(Integrated Mathematics I, Integrated Mathematics II, and Integrated Mathematics III may be substituted for the Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II sequence)

1 Unit from the following:

Algebra III; Advanced Math - Functions and Statistics, Advanced

Math - Pre-Calculus, Pre-Calculus, IB® Math Studies (Math Methods), Calculus, AP® Calculus AB, AP® Calculus BC, Probability and Statistics, AP® Statistics, IB® Mathematics SL, or IB® Mathematics HL

SCIENCE = 4 Units

1 Unit Biology I

1 Unit Chemistry I

2 Units from the following:

Earth Science; Environmental Science; AP® Environmental Science or IB® Environmental Systems; Physical Science, Agriscience I and Agriscience II (the elective course Ag I is a prerequisite for Ag II); one of Chemistry II, AP® Chemistry, IB® Chemistry I, or IB® Chemistry II; Physics I, or IB® Physics I; one of AP® Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, AP® Physics C: Mechanics, or IB® Physics II AP® Physics I, AP® Physics II; one of Biology II, AP® Biology, IB® Biology I, or IB® Biology II

SOCIAL STUDIES = 4 Units

1 Unit from the following: U.S. History, AP® U.S. History, IB® History of the Americas I

1 Unit from the following:Government, AP® U.S. Government and Politics: Comparative,

AP® U.S. Government and Politics: United States, or Civics

2 Units from the following:

One of Western Civilization, European History, or AP® European History; one of World Geography, AP® Human Geography, or IB® Geography; World History or AP® World History; IB® History of the Americas II; Government, Economics; AP® Macroeconomics; AP® Microeconomics; or IB® Economics

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Units Courses

FOREIGN LANGUAGE = 2 Units

Foreign Language, both units in the same language, which may include the following:

American Sign Language I, II, III, IV; B® Language ab initio: Arabic, IB® Language B: Arabic; AP® French Language and Culture, IB® Language ab initio: French, IB® Language B: French, French III, French IV; AP® German Language and Culture, IB® Language ab initio: German, IB® Language B: German, German III, German IV; AP® Latin, IB® Classical Language, Latin III, Latin IV; AP® Spanish Language and Culture, IB® Language ab initio: Spanish, IB® Language B: Spanish, Spanish III, Spanish IV; AP® Chinese Language and Culture, IB® Language ab initio: Chinese, or IB® Language B: Chinese, Chinese III, Chinese IV; AP® Italian Language and Culture, IB® Language ab initio: Italian, IB® Language B: Italian, Italian III, Italian IV; AP® Japanese Language and Culture, IB® Language an initio: Japanese, IB® Language B: Japanese, Japanese III, Japanese IV

ART = 1 Unit

1 Unit from the following:Visual Arts courses (Bulletin 741 §2333), Music courses (Bulletin 741 §2355), Dance courses (Bulletin 741 §2337), Theatre courses (Bulletin 741 §2369), Speech III and IV (one unit combined), Fine Arts Survey, Drafting

Health/Physical Education = 2 Units (JROTC may be substituted for PE.)

1 Unit from the following: Physical Education I

½ Unit from the following: Physical Education II, Marching Band, Extracurricular Sports, Cheering, or Dance Teams

½ Unit from the following: Health Education (JROTC I and II may be used to meet the Health Ed)

ELECTIVES = 3 Units Electives

Total Units = 24

The graduation requirements for incoming freshmen from 2008-2009 through 2013-2014 can be found in section §2318 and §2319 within Bulletin 741: http://bese.louisiana.gov/documents-resources/policies-bulletins.

Note: For more information on course equivalents, course codes, and weighted GPA designation, click here.

Principal Data Reporting Packages In 2015-2016, the Department is restructuring how it delivers data reports to districts, schools, and educators. These data reporting strategy changes are the result of feedback received from focus groups with district staff, principals, and internal staff. Our mission is to get educators actionable and meaningful data when it is most needed.

WHY DATA PACKAGES?To maximize awareness, usage and impact of its data reporting efforts, the Department is now streamlining several reports into data packages released in broad coordination with important phases of the school year. The Department aims to align data reporting with key decisions educators make and simplify how educators receive reporting.

What are the phases of the year and corresponding Data Packages?

SET GOALS When setting goals in the spring, educators should be using data analytics and reports to deploy financial resources efficiently and effectively.

• To assist with these objectives, the Department plans to release a Pre-Planning Data Package by late March.

Additionally, the Department encourages educators to use data reporting to assist in 1) identifying and prioritizing student outcomes, 2) making appropriate curriculum and resource selection decisions, 3) setting teacher and school leader goals/targets and 4) ensuring all students are on target for promotion graduation, and assimilation into college or career readiness.

• To assist with these objectives, the Department plans to release a Planning Data Package by late June.

EVALUATE RESULTS To understand how districts, schools, and students are performing relative to their benchmarks, goals, and peers, it is important that educators evaluate assessment and accountability performance, trends in the previous year.

• To assist with these objectives, the Department plans to release the Results Reflection Data Package in three phases:

» Results Reflection I (2014-2015 Assessment) by late July

» Results Reflection II by late October

» Results Reflection II (2014-2015 Accountability) by late Dec ‘15/early Jan ’16

PROVIDE SUPPORTThroughout the school year, educators should take opportunities to 1) provide observation and feedback to school and district leaders and 2) encourage collaboration between leaders and schools.

• To assist these objectives, the Department plans to release a Mid-Year Data Package by late February.

HOW WILL EDUCATORS RECEIVE THE DATA PACKAGES? All Data Packages will be delivered via the FTP.

MORE INFORMATIONContent details of each data package can be found in the next exhibit of the appendix.

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Principal Data Reporting Packages CalendarSET GOALS & OBJECTIVES EVALUATE RESULTS PROVIDE SUPPORT

Which curriculum resources are most appropriate for your students?

How does the school manage its limited financial resources?

How do kids perform from K through graduation in the school relative to

the district?

Are students on target for assimilation into postsecondary field

of choice?

Have at risk students gained ground? Have on track students graduated on

time with cohort?

Who are my highest performing teachers and students Lowest performing? How to set goals?

What assessment performance trends exist district wide?

How did the school perform with respect to accountability metrics? What are areas for improvement?

Successes?

What observation and feedback has been provided to school

leaders and teachers?

Has there been collaboration between teachers and staff?

SPRING ‘15 SUMMER ‘15 I SUMMER ‘15 II FALL ‘15 WINTER ‘15-’16 EARLY SPRING ‘16

Pre-Planning Planning Results

Reflection I Results

Reflection IIResults

Reflection IIIMid Year

Financial Dashboard

EOY Compass Report

Principal Report Cards

(revisit)

Final Compass Report

(revisit)

On Time On Level Report

(revisit)

Graduation Support Profile

(revisit)

Assessment Summary Reports

(non-PARCC)

AP Potential Report

Transitional 9th Grade Program

Evaluation Report

SPED Act 833 Eligibility Report

Cohort Graduation

Report

School Performance

Scores

Principal Report Card

Final Compass Report

SPED Act 833 Eligibility Report

II

CIS Compass Report

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APPENDIX II: SEEKING REWARDSACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM The Louisiana school accountability system is a reflection of the values and aspirations for students. As school officials and districts work with students to plan their career and college pathways, they should do so with the accountability system in mind.

K-8 School Accountability Formula High School Accountability Formula

• Assessment/Tests (95%)

• Dropout/Credit Accumulation by 8th graders (5%)

• Progress Points

• End-of-Course Assessment/Tests (25%)

• ACT® Composite (25%)

• Graduation Rate (25%)

• Quality of Diploma (25%)

• Progress Points

HIGH SCHOOL TRANSITIONING AND ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURESDropout/Credit Accumulation: The transition from 8th to 9th grade is critical for student success. Louisiana’s accountability system rewards schools for ensuring student preparation in high school through the Dropout/Credit Accumulation Index (DCAI). Schools with an 8th grade earn points for the numbers of credits students accumulate by the end of the 9th grade (and Transitional 9th Grade, where applicable). This encourages a successful transition to high school by allowing students access to Carnegie credits. Points are awarded as follows:

CARNEGIE COURSE CREDITS (earned by the end of 9th grade)

DCAI POINTS PER STUDENT

6+ 150 pts.

5.5 125 pts.

5 100 pts.

4.5 75 pts.

4 50 pts.

3.5 25 pts.

3 or less 0 pts.

3 year 8th grade student 0 pts.

Dropout 0 pts.

Transitional 9th Grade is designed to ensure a successful transition for struggling students from 8th to 9th grade. For accountability specific implications for students in transitional 9th grade, please see the Transitional 9th Guide.

HIGH SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES: EOC AND ACT® ASSESSMENTSStudents on both the career and college paths will take courses with End-of-Course tests as part of their required diploma coursework. When students take a course corresponding with an End-of-Course test, they are required to take the test to reflect their ability and successes. The accountability system rewards schools for students who achieve the top two levels (proficiency), Excellent, and Good.

EOC SCORE/LEVEL POINTS EARNED PER TEST

Excellent 150 points

Good (Proficient) 100 points

Fair 0 points

Needs Improvement 0 points

All Louisiana 11th graders take the ACT®, a nationally recognized measure of postsecondary readiness. Schools earn points for students who score an 18 (composite) or above on the ACT® in the manner of the chart below. For students to be eligible for TOPS Opportunity, they must achieve an ACT® score of 20 (105.6 ACT® Index points); for TOPS Performance a 23 (114 ACT® Index points); for TOPS Honors, a 27 (125.2 ACT® Index points).

ACT® COMPOSITE SCORE

POINTS EARNED PER STUDENT

19-36 102.8 to 150.4 points (maximum)

18 (Proficient) 100 points

Less than 18 0 points

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Beginning in 2014-2015, Louisiana students pursuing the career path can take ACT® WorkKeys®, a nationally recognized workforce readiness assessment. Beginning in 2015-2016, student performance on WorkKeys® will be included in the ACT® index through a concordance table comparing it and ACT®. For additional information, please see link.

The table below provides the timeline for inclusion of WorkKeys® as part of the ACT® index.

ACCOUNTABILITY CYCLE SCORES INCLUDED IN INDEX

Fall 2015 SPS Highest ACT® Composite Score Only

Fall 2016 SPSHighest Act® composite score through April 2016 OR

WorkKeys® score that yields greater points than highest ACT® score using concordance table

HIGH SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES: GRADUATION AND DIPLOMA STRENGTHThe base expectation for all high school students is that they graduate in four years. The cohort graduation rate represents the extent to which schools achieve this desired outcome. A cohort of students is established upon first-time entry in 9th grade. Schools earn points for graduating students in the following manner:

GRADUATION COHORT RATE (CGR) FORMULA

0 to 60 percent graduation rate CGR x 1.166667

61 to 100 percent graduation rate (CGR x 2.0) - 50

The graduation index in the accountability system is the core measure for the extent to which high schools have prepared students for college or a career–with both treated as equally valuable. The table below indicates how the coursework discussed earlier is rewarded in the accountability system, for college and career pathway students. Please see here for additional information on the Jumpstart policy implications timeline, which reflects forthcoming improvements.

INDEX POINTS FALL 2016 SPS (2014-2015 COHORT)

150

HS Diploma plus (a) AP® score of 3 or higher, IB® Score of 4 or higher, or CLEP® score of 50 or higher OR (b) Advanced statewide Jump Start credential* Four-year graduates achieving both an advanced statewide Jump Start credential and a test score at a

qualifying level will generate 160 points.

110

HS Diploma plus(a) At least one passing course grade for TOPS core curriculum credit of the following type: AP®**, college

credit, dual enrollment, or IB® OR(b) Basic statewide Jump Start credential* Students achieving both (a) and (b) will generate 115 points.** Students must take the AP® exam and pass the course to earn 110 points.

100 Diploma (includes Career Diploma student with a regional Jump Start credential)

25 HiSET®

0 Non-graduates, Certificate of Achievement

140 5th year graduate with AP® 3+ or IB® 4+ or CLEP® 50+

75 5th year graduate w/diploma

50 Sixth year graduate

* For the basic credential 110 point reward, dual enrollment must count for TOPS Core Curriculum starting with 2014-2015 graduates. For an Industry-Based Certifications (IBC), starting with the graduating class of 2017-2018 (2019 SPS), only WIC-approved IBCs will be included as basic statewide credential.

** Students must take the AP®/IB® exam and pass the course to earn 110 points.

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APPENDIX III: Accountability FAQsThis document is designed to answer frequently asked questions regarding high school planning and accountability.

PREPARING 8TH GRADE STUDENTS (Transitional 9th Grade, DCAI, and Graduation Cohort)

1. DO THE CREDITS EARNED BY TRANSITIONAL 9TH GRADERS EARN COUNT TOWARDS DCAI?

Yes, credits earned by transitional 9th graders count towards the dropout credit accumulation index. The Carnegie credits earned by transitional 9th grader are analogous to that of a first-time 9th grader. This is done to incentivize transitional 9th graders not only taking coursework to address academic gaps but also to earn high school credits.

2. DO THE CREDITS EARNED BY TRANSITIONAL 9TH GRADERS, AFTER THEIR T9 YEAR, COUNT TOWARDS DCAI?

Transitional 9th graders have through the end of their Transitional 9th Grade year to earn Carnegie credits for the dropout credit accumulation index. Credits earned by the transitional 9th grader during their first time 9th grade year are not included towards DCAI.

3. DO EOC SCORES EARNED BY A TRANSITIONAL 9TH GRADER GET “BANKED”?

EOC scores for transitional 9th graders are “banked,” or transferred, the same as students who take EOC exams in middle school.

4. WHEN DOES A TRANSITIONAL 9TH GRADER ENTER THE FIRST-TIME 9TH COHORT?

A transitional 9th grader enters the first-time 9th grade cohort the year after transitional 9th.

5. WHAT HAPPENS IF A TRANSITIONAL 9TH GRADER BECOMES A DROPOUT?

If a transitional 9th grader drops-out in the transitional 9th year, the student is included in the cohort and earns zero points.

6. WHAT HAPPENS IF AN 8TH GRADER IS NOT READY TO ENTER 9TH GRADE, BASED ON STATE ASSESSMENT?

Schools should refer to their Transitional 9th Grade Policy within their Pupil Progression Plan for student options.

END-OF-COURSE TESTS

1. DO CAREER AND COLLEGE PATHWAY STUDENTS HAVE TO TAKE THE SAME TESTS AND/OR COURSES?

All students will take a core/foundational set of Academic classes in the 9th and 10th grade. A student must take an EOC test for any course that has a corresponding EOC test when the student is taking the course for the first time.

2. WHAT HAPPENS IF A STUDENT TRANSFERS IN FROM A DIFFERENT SCHOOL OUT OF STATE? DO THEY TAKE EOC COURSES?

Bulletin 118 outlines this policy:

The following rules apply for transfer students who are Louisiana residents transferring into the Louisiana public school district from out-of-state schools, nonpublic schools, or approved home study programs.

• A transfer student is not required to take the EOC tests for courses he/she already successfully completed for Carnegie credit.

• A transfer student shall be required to take the EOC test for courses he/she previously took but did not pass.

• A transfer student may choose to take an EOC test for a course he/she has already successfully completed if he/she scored Needs Improvement on an EOC test in another course and the student must pass the EOC test for one of the EOC pairs.

3. WHICH SCORE COUNTS IF A STUDENT RE-TAKES AN EOC EXAM?

The score from an initial EOC test is the only score that is used for accountability. If the initial test is taken in summer, the EOC will be used for accountability calculations in the following academic year. The EOC test score from a student in middle school is banked for use at the high school to which the student is enrolled for grade 9. If the score earned in middle school is not proficient (Needs Improvement or Fair), then the high school has one additional opportunity to test the student. If the student scores proficient, the retake score will replace the initial banked non-proficient score.

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ACT® AND WORKKEYS®

1. IS THE STATE TEST DURING 11TH GRADE USED TO CALCULATE ACCOUNTABILITY POINTS?

A student’s highest ACT® test score, through the April test date of the student’s 12th grade year, is included for accountability purposes.

2. WHAT IF A STUDENT TAKES THE ACT® MANY TIMES?

Students frequently take the ACT® multiple times and the school and district is held accountable for the highest ACT® score a student earns through April of their 12th grade year.

3. WHAT HAPPENS IF A STUDENT TAKES THE ACT® AT A DIFFERENT SCHOOL?

The highest score for a 12th grade student will count at the school where the student is considered full academic year for their 12th grade year regardless of where the test was taken. A student is considered full academic year in an LEA if the student is enrolled on October 1 and for the date of ACT® testing. If the student counts at the LEA, the student score is included in the SPS of the school at which the student was enrolled on February 1.

4. HOW CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT WORKKEYS®?

ACT® WorkKeys® is a national career readiness assessment. Information can be found here.

5. WHEN WILL STUDENT PERFORMANCE ON WORKKEYS® COUNT TOWARDS ACCOUNTABILITY RESULTS? HOW WILL THIS WORK?

Beginning in 2015-2016 (2016 SPS), student performance on WorkKeys® will count towards accountability results. All juniors will continue to take the ACT®. After establishing baseline WorkKeys® results in 2015, the Department will analyze the results of students to determine equivalency from the WorkKeys® NCRC achievement levels (e.g., Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum) to the ACT® achievement levels (e.g., 17, 18). The state will award the schools for students’ best scores across the ACT® or WorkKeys® scores.

GRADUATION COHORT

1. HOW DOES THE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM WORK FOR STUDENTS WHO ENTER THE SCHOOL THROUGH DIFFERENT GRADES?

If a student enters a Louisiana school for the first time as a tenth grader, then the student will be placed with the cohort that is in their second year of high school. If a student enters a Louisiana school for the first time as an 11th grader, then the student will be placed with the cohort that is in their third year of high school. All students who enter the cohort at grades other than 9th are included in the cohort graduation rate for the district if they entered the district on or before Oct. 1 of the third cohort year. Additionally, all students who transfer within an LEA on or before Oct. 1 of the fourth cohort year are included in the graduation rate.

2. ARE STUDENTS WHO GRADUATE IN FIVE OR SIX YEARS CONSIDERED FOR ACCOUNTABILITY?

The cohort graduation rate measures the extent to which students achieved an on-time, four-year graduation and therefore does not include students who graduate in five or six years. However, students who graduate in five years are included in the graduation index, for strength of diploma. Each student who graduates in five years with a regular high school diploma may earn the school 75 points. Beginning in 2015-2016 (2014-2015 graduates), students who graduate in six years will be awarded 50 points in the graduation index.

3. WHAT HAPPENS IF A STUDENT GRADUATES EARLY?

A student who graduates early (e.g. in three-years) is included for graduation cohort and graduation index calculations in the forthcoming year.

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GRADUATION INDEX

1. HOW IS THE 2015 SPS GRADUATION INDEX (2013-2014 GRADUATES) DIFFERENT THAN THE 2016 SPS GRADUATION INDEX (2014-2015 GRADUATES)? WHY IS IT DIFFERENT?

The graduation index for 2014 and 2015 graduates is largely the same for students pursuing the college path and provides greater incentives for schools and districts with students pursuing the career path. This was done to recognize and equalize the efforts of students, teachers, schools, and districts to prepare for college and career outcomes. In particular, the following should be noted:

• For students that graduate in 2013-2014 (and beyond), additional points will awarded for achieving advanced or basic Jump Start credentials.

• For students that graduate in 2014-2015 (and beyond) (2016 SPS), dual enrollment must count for TOPS Core Curriculum.

• Schools will be able to earn points for students who graduate in six-years.

2. WHAT ARE TOPS COURSE COURSES AND HOW DO I FIND INFORMATION WHAT COUNTS AS TOPS CORE COURSES?

The Louisiana Office of Student and Financial Aid (LOSFA) maintains current lists of TOPS requirements. More information can be found at www.osfa.la.gov.

3. HOW IS HISET® DIFFERENT THEN THE GED? HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT IT.

The GED was phased out as the Adult Education Equivalency Exam and replaced by the HiSET® in January 2014. Find more information here: http://www.lctcs.edu/workready-u

4. WHAT IS THE CLEP® TEST? HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT IT?

CLEP® is a computer-based credit by exam opportunity that offers the chance for students to be awarded college credit for knowledge gained through dual enrollment coursework. CLEP® recognizes the value of prior learning and validates a student’s experience and knowledge acquired inside and outside of the classroom, such as workforce training and life experience.

• High schools may apply to become an authorized CLEP® testing center through an application and certification process.

• For a list of CLEP® exam titles, click here.

5. IF A STUDENT EARNS MULTIPLE AP®, IB®, OR CLEP® SCORES, WHICH ONE IS USED?

A student’s highest score is used to determine points in the graduation index. For example, if a high school graduate earned an AP® score of 5 and an IB® score of 3, the graduate would earn 150 points in the graduation index.

APPENDIX IV:HYPERLINKS A PATH TOPROSPERITY FOR EVERY STUDENT

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APPENDIX IV: HyperlinksThis document provides a list of the hyperlinks embedded in the High School Planning Guide. Hyperlinks are listed in the order in which they appear.

Transitional 9th Grade Promotion Policy Guidance Document http://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/teacher-toolbox-resources/transitional-9th-grade-promotion-policy-guidance.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Louisiana Accountability System http://www.louisianabelieves.com/accountability

BESE Revisions to Bulletin 1566 http://www.louisianabelieves.com/accountability

National Office for School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA) http://nosca.collegeboard.org/

The Eight Components of College and Career Readiness for Counseling in High School (NOSCA) http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/nosca/11b-4151_HS_Counselor_Guide_web.pdf

Talent Development Secondary (TDS) http://www.talentdevelopmentsecondary.com/

Diplomas Now http://diplomasnow.org/

City Year http://www.cityyear.org/

Communities in Schools http://www.communitiesinschools.org/

Curricular Resource Annotated Reviews http://www.louisianabelieves.com/academics/instructional-materials-review/curricular-resources-annotated-reviews

Curricular Resource Rubrics http://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/library/curricular-resources

Math Guidebooks http://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/library/k-12-math-year-long-planning

English Language Arts Guidebooks http://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/library/k-12-ela-year-long-planning

Eagle 2.0 http://www.louisianabelieves.com/assessment/eagle

Individual Graduation Plan Template http://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/counselor-toolbox-resources/individual-graduation-plan-(blank).pdf?sfvrsn=2

Links to Pupil Progression Plan Templates http://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/library/school-policy

Community Service Diploma Endorsement Requirements http://www.louisianabelieves.com/academics/diploma-endorsements

The Lexile® Framework for Reading https://www.lexile.com/about-lexile/how-to-get-lexile-measures/reader-measure/interimbenchmark-assessments/

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Statewide Assessment Results http://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/classroom-support-toolbox/teacher-support-toolbox/student-achievement-results

2014-2015 Math and ELA Practice Tests http://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/library/practice-tests

Assessment Guidance http://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/library/assessment-guidance-2014-2015

Compass Information System (CIS) http://www.louisianabelieves.com/teaching/compass-information-system-(cis)

National BETA Club http://www.betaclub.org/

4-H http://www.4-h.org/

The National FFA Organization https://www.ffa.org/Pages/default.aspx

Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) http://www.jag.org/

Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) http://www.deca.org/

Supplemental Course Academy (Course Choice Program) http://www.louisianabelieves.com/courses/supplemental-course-academy

Counselor Resource Library (TOPS Weighted GPA Grid) http://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/classroom-support-toolbox/counselor-support-toolbox/counselor-toolbox-library

TOPS Tech Award http://www.osfa.louisiana.gov/TOPS_T.htm

TOPS University Diploma Requirements http://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/course-choice/college-diploma-requirements-with-course-codes.pdf?sfvrsn=14

TOPS Tech Career Diploma Pathway Requirements https://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/course-choice/blueprint---appendix-1.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Jump Start Graduation Pathways http://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/library/jump-start-graduation-pathways

Louisiana Department of Education Assessment Page http://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/library/assessment

ACT® Aspire™ http://www.discoveractaspire.org/assessments/

ACT® Plan® http://www.act.org/plan/results.html

ACT® Explore® https://www.act.org/explore/pdf/Explore-UsingYourResults.pdf

ACT® WorkKeys® http://www.act.org/products/workforce-act-workkeys/

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ACT® World-of-Work Map http://www.act.org/wwm/

Louisiana Workforce Commission Tools http://lwc.laworks.net/sites/LMI/Pages/IndustryProjections.aspx

Louisiana Build Your Future http://louisiana.byf.org/

Statewide IBC Credentials http://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/course-choice/blueprint---appendix-3.pdf?sfvrsn=2

TOPS Opportunity, Performance, and Honors Awards http://www.osfa.la.gov/MainSitePDFs/TOPS_OPH_brochure_8-14.pdf

Louisiana’s Community and Technical Colleges http://www.lctcs.edu/

Louisiana’s Board of Regents (Four-year Universities) http://regents.louisiana.gov/about-regents/colleges-amp-universities/

Exploring Private and Out-of-State Colleges and Universities http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2012/05/29/decision-points-state-vs-private-college/

ACT® College Search Tool http://www.act.org/collegesearch/

TOPS Tech Early Start (TTES) Training Providers http://www.louisianabelieves.com/courses/tops-tech-early-start-training-providers

Louisiana Success Through Articulation (STArt) http://regents.louisiana.gov/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/STArtMatrices.pdf

Advanced Placement® courses http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/teachers_corner/index.html

AP® Exam schedule for Advanced Placement® tests http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/exam/calendar/index.html

AP® Incentive and Teacher Training http://www.louisianabelieves.com/courses/advanced-placement

Increasing Access to AP® https://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/spotlight-on-success-student-supports.pdf

School Performance Score http://www.louisianabelieves.com/accountability/school-performance-scores

International Baccalaureate® http://www.ibo.org/

CLEP® Test Center Application http://clep.collegeboard.org/test-center/open

CLEP® Exam Titles http://clep.collegeboard.org/exam

TOPS Aligned Dual Enrollment Courses http://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/counselor-toolbox-resources/tops-weighted-gpa-grid-june-2014.pdf?sfvrsn=2

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Lela’s College Planning Guide http://www.nextstepu.com/downloads/pdfs/custom/LELA-14/index.html

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) http://www.fafsa.com/understanding-fafsa/

TOPS Index Page http://www.osfa.state.la.us/schgrt6.htm

FAFSA Home Page https://fafsa.ed.gov/

FAFSA and TOPS On-line Application https://www.osfa.la.gov/AwardSystem/faces/jsf/onlineApp/onlineAppFAFSA.jspx

Memo: Funding Streams for Career Education http://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/course-choice/new-funding-document-final.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Supplemental Course Allocation (SCA) and Career Development Fund (CDF) FAQs http://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/course-choice/sca-and-cdf-faqs-final.pdf?sfvrsn=2

MFP Career Development Fund http://www.louisianabelieves.com/funding

Louisiana Believes: Federal Grants Information http://www.louisianabelieves.com/funding/grants-management/federal-grants

TOPS Tech Early Start Program http://www.osfa.state.la.us/TTES.htm

APPENDIX I: HIGH SCHOOL GUIDEBOOK: PRINCIPAL AND COUNSELOR SUPPORTSLouisiana Connect https://www.louisianaconnect.org/Ext/Louisiana/Home/index.html

Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA) http://www.osfa.state.la.us/

Louisiana Department of Education Counselor Assistance Center http://lacourses.net/

Louisiana Believes: Counselor Support Toolbox http://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/classroom-support-toolbox/counselor-support-toolbox

The Master Schedule: A Culture Indicator http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/193EECA0-CE4C-4339-97DB-48CCD7AEC107/0/HSAcademicProgrammingParticipantPacket.pdf

Designing Quality Middle School Master Schedules http://schoolschedulingassociates.com/handouts/MiddleSchool102408.pdf

Steps in Building a High School Schedule http://merenbloomseminars.com/steps-in-building-a-high-school-schedule/

The Theory Behind Master Schedule Building and Issues http://old.sandi.net/zangle/masterschedule/downloads/handbook_mstheory.pdf

A High School Schedule for 21st Century Learners http://www.vbschools.com/curriculum/high/content/pdfs/SchedulePresentationStudents.pdf

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Graduation Requirements for incoming freshmen 2008 through 2014 within Bulletin 741 http://bese.louisiana.gov/documents-resources/policies-bulletins

Course Equivalents, Course Codes, and Weighted GPA Designation http://www.louisianabelieves.com/academics/graduation-requirements

APPENDIX II: SEEKING REWARDSAssessments and Accountability System http://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/classroom-support-toolbox/district-support-toolbox/assessment-curriculum

Transitional 9th Grade Policy Guidance http://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/teacher-toolbox-resources/transitional-9th-grade-promotion-policy-guidance.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Jump Start Policy Implementation Timeline http://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/course-choice/blueprint---appendix-6.pdf?sfvrsn=2

APPENDIX III: ACCOUNTABILITY FAQSHiSET® http://hiset.org/

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